MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Tehran launches missile tests in order to improve its ballistic missiles' accuracy, which is not required for nuclear weapons, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Saturday.
"We proceed with testing them [missiles] as we want to improve their accuracy. If a missile is designed for nuclear weapons, it does not need accuracy," Zarif said in an interview with the Newsweek magazine.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly referred to as the Iran Nuclear Deal, was signed in July 2015 by Iran and the P5+1 group of nations comprised of the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany after years of diplomatic work.
Tehran has conducted several tests of ballistic missiles following the signing of the JCPOA. Most recently, on September 23 Iran launched a ballistic missile, dubbed Khorramshahr, with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles).
Donald Trump called the JCPOA, negotiated under President Barack Obama's watch "an embarrassment" to the United States during his speech to the UN General Assembly and has repeatedly criticized it during his presidential and election campaign.
Earlier this week, The Washington Post suggested that US President Donald Trump is likely to declare Iran noncompliant next week. Earlier in the day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani lashed out at Trump over the nuclear deal, saying "Nobody can roll them back, neither Trump, nor 10 other Trumps."
